The Master
by Eoph
Summary: A new summoner begins his journey around the world as tradition dictates. He is soon met with other powerful inhabitants of this realm and is sucked into a political situation beyond his control, for now. Formerly "Summoner"
1. Campfire

The fire burned low, illuminating the new Master's eyes, he pulled his black cloak around his body. The night was cold and dry, it stung his throat with every breath. Minor discomforts were no problem though, the training he received from his now dead master saw to that.

_ "Focus! You will be dealing with tricksters, fiends and monsters that want nothing more than to drain your life and consume your entrails." _

He smiled at the thought, beginners focus on the future, old men on the past, Summoners focus on the present. "I must be getting old."

**"Compared to me you are" **The demon sitting in the middle of his camp fire spoke with unmoving lips. The flames flickered with each syllable.

"Aye but you are only a few minutes old and will live only as long as I keep feeding you.**" **The Master handed handed a stick to the small Pyre and watched as it ate.

He studied its shape, its small round teeth burrowing into the wood and its fragile triple clawed paws scraping at the bark, trying to expose the dry wood beneath. It looked like a chipmunk about as large as his hand but scaly and constantly changing between shades of red and orange. It grew fat as more wood was added to the fire and looked content as long as there were flames.

"How does this shape suit your purpose?" The summoner had been working on the shape of his Pyre. In order to summon a demon one must design it in their mind first and then will it into life. Each demon has a different shape depending on the tastes of their summoner.

**"I cant burn quickly with so few limbs and I feel small!" **_'That voice is annoying too high pitched, I need to loosen its vocal chords'_

"Good I don't need you burning out on me while I sleep"

**"What should I call you? Your name?"** This demon was weak and stupid, its face gave away the obvious 'trick'. The second you reveal your true name to a demon they can become free, there has never been a free demon that did not kill their summoner. Most demon summoners take fake names to protect themselves, others just abandon names completely.

He had forgotten his name long ago, before it was apprentice now it was "Master" The disappointment was obvious on the Pyre's face. "I'm going to sleep now, eat slowly or you will die I expect you to be alive in the morning." _'I should change the shape a bit, this form has an annoying personality.'_

Master looked to either side of his camp and deciding he was safe set up a tent. He grabbed a handful of branches and threw them to the Pyre who ate ravenously. "If anyone come into this area pop as loud as possible to wake me. I expect you to attack any hostiles." With that order he retreated into his tent for the night.


	2. Divine Warriors

Divine warriors. The power of the gods in the hands of mortals. Young men and women who are blessed with power beyond the normal. Each lord scours his villages to find these talented future soldiers. They come in all shapes and sizes, they only have one trait in common, they are born with a red hand print on their chest above their heart. The mark is known as 'Goddess' Palm' and it symbolizes their birth rite, they will grow to be heroes.

That is what every Divine Warrior is told by their lord when they are ripped from their mother's teat and thrust into military training.

"Sir there is a camp ahead, it could be the thief we are looking for." Thrid was pulled from his thoughts by his spotter.

"Dismount." The order was whispered but every man in the unit heard it. Thrid was commanding an elite guard, all Divine Warriors, all hand chosen by him. His lord had chosen him for this mission, a thief had stolen something of great value and had fled before the guards could find him. The guards were not Divine Warriors.

With a quick hand gesture the fastest members of his squad shot off without a sound and signaled their arrival on the opposite side of the camp some sixty yards away. The rest of the group moved in and within seconds they were on the outskirts of the small clearing.

The campfire crackled as they approached, popping as if the wood was wet, even though it had clearly been burning for quite a while. The soldiers moved around the site and reached the tent.

Thrid raised his spear to the ready and clicked his tongue almost inaudibly. The tent was ripped up and thrown to the side spears thudded into the ground encircling the form that was lying in the center of the now open area.

"Trap!" The word had barley left the soldier's mouth when the figure snapped up grabbed him, breaking the spears on its rocky skin. Thrid jumped back, raising his shield and drawing a short sword from its scabbard. The figure was illuminated by the now roaring fire, exposed as a demon of rock with the shape of a bear.

"Back off ya bandits! I'll kill th-" The cloaked figure was quickly surrounded and slammed into the dirt. The bear incapacitated its prey and turned to its master's captors growling.

"Release the demon or we kill you" Thrid dug his blade into Master's back.

"Alright just don't kill me!" _'It was a quick summon anyway, it is too unstable to keep around much longer'_ the bear fell to pieces and Thrid removed his blade from his prisoner's back.

"Search his belongings, anything out of the usual bring to me" Thrid took a seat on the soft body that was being held in the dirt. He looked around the camp for any signs of potential danger. "Extinguish the fire, there is probably something hiding in there, Summoners have no honor."

"May I ask why y'are takin my stuff? I didn't know Divine Warriors ever had to work as brigands." A quick strike to his shoulder finished his questions and arrogant attitude.

"Did you find anything yet?" Thrid stood up as a soldier nodded.

"Aye, a vial of blood, it is too thick to be normal, looks like our blood. Aside from this it seems everything is normal, for a summoner that is." The soldier tucked the vial of blood into his vambrace and said a quick prayer.

Thrid stood up and kept his opinions to himself. He motioned to two of his faster men "Grab the Summoner and bring him to the castle." They tied Master to a spear and ran off with him hanging from it like a deer from a hunt. "The rest of you come with me, we have a thief to catch."


	3. Attack on the road

The ropes cut into his wrists, rubbing his skin raw. The two soldiers had tied him between their horses and carried him back towards their lord's castle. Master studied their features to draw his focus away from his uncomfortable bindings. A man and woman, each obviously Divine Warriors, their left breasts exposed to reveal the mark. Their armor was a set of plates running from right shoulder to under their left pectoral muscle and then down to their hips. The man carried a bow and the woman a rapier, each had a short sword and a shield.

"Where are ya takin me?" The question was met with jolting of the spear holding him, causing the ropes to cut through what was left of the skin on his wrists and blood started to drip over his and down towards his chest. He did not wince nor grimace.

After a few minutes of travel the horses came to a stop at the orders of their riders. The female drew in a shallow breath from her nose, the muscles along her neck flexed in time to meet an ax. Three men burst from the ground, two taking the horses legs from beneath them and the third engaging the female Divine in combat as she had survived the strike to her throat.

The ground rose up to meet the master as the horses fell and he quickly rolled to put the spear under his legs and he watched the combat taking place in front of him. The female was bleeding heavily from her neck wound but her head stayed in place and her movements were still amazing compared to a normal human. Her rapier darted into her attackers chest and out his back but it was too late and his ax crushed her skull, blue eyes burst from their sockets. The two fell to the ground and Master turned his attention to his work, drawing a triangle on the ground in front of him.

The male was faring better, he had been hamstrung and was limping but one of his attackers already lay dead with a broken arrow sticking from his neck. The final survivor from the ambushers was wielding his ax with skill and using its length to his advantage, having already broken his opponents bow.

The Divine Warrior switched his short sword to his left hand and placed his right over his mark, his face stoic. Three quick ax strikes were blocked before the mark responded with a bright light, the formerly hamstrung soldier leaped forward and cut the ax's handle in half.

The warrior looked over his recent kill, to where his captive had fallen, in time to see the summoning complete. A small dog rose and fed off the entrails of the first man that he had killed, with each bite it grew. The summoner looked on without any sign of remorse or fear, he turned and locked eyes with his captor.

"I'll leave the body of your comrade, just let me leave in peace." The dog demon turned, it was still only the size of a wolf.

His wife was dead now, the soldier didn't feel charitable. Without a word he threw his sword into the side of the corpse defiling monstrosity and watched as it turned to ash. "Come, we will get your wrists wrapped faster if you walk then if I have to drag you."

"Do I even get to learn your name?" The master walked along the road with the warrior, anyone who could kill a demon with a normal weapon was not to be trifled with.

"No"

"Are all Divine Warriors so talkative?" he was answered by a hand gripping his wounded wrist and twisting.

They continued walking for hours, the day had come and it was already noon by the time they reached the castle. The summoner looked up at the imposing gate and sighed, it would take a lot of power or finesse to escape. They entered the walls and were met by an advance guard, all normal humans, the guards bowed to the Divine accepted the prisoner.

"Visit me will ya? It was fun talkin!" The summoner received a vicious knock to his ribs from the mortal guards.

The summoner was taken to a small prison at the base of one of the towers in the middle of the city. The cell he was unceremoniously tossed in was small, hardly fitting the four other captives. _'I doubt they will be very happy to have me as a guest'. _

"Nice day out." Master turned to his cell mates with a smile.

"Is it? What time of year?" The nearest man smiled back at him, what teeth he had were black.

"Fall actually, warm days still but cold nights. Ya mind tellin me how often we get fed?"

"Er, every twelve hours is what they tell us, time just sort of runs together here. Say do ya wanna be my wife?" The same black toothed man was still smiling.

"No, actually. No offense meant of course." The summoner still smiled and looked around for a sharp implement. A chipped stone by his left hand was quickly palmed and prepared to strike.

"None taken, I'm not as pretty as I used ta be." The man turned back to the ground and stared blankly at it.

The summoner looked out of his new home and found that they were alone, as soon as he confirmed it he began working on his escape plan. He removed some straw from the floor and started etching into the dirt floor. He drew a circle, about the size of a plate, and started etching runes along the outside while muttering under his breath.

The other prisoners looked on with amusement on their faces. They watched as he wove spells around the outskirts of his circle, and smiled when he scratched his scabbed over wrists to draw blood for the offering. The master looked at his work frowning as nothing happened.

"Did ya figure it out yet?" the older prisoner smiled and pulled his beard to the side, revealing a red palm mark. "This cell blocks magic, all of it."


	4. Reports and Orders

"Kneel!" Thrid called to his unit, the sarcasm hidden only to those with weak hearing. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed his lieutenant's face twitch _'Damn it Dres don't make them order you to the hold.' _The men fell to one knee and kept their eye's focused on the floor.

"Captain Thrid your findings?" The lord was sitting up in his chair, outwardly powerful and restrained.

A vein pulsed in Thrid's sword arm but he looked up and spoke. "We were unable to find the escaped thief, he must still be in the town. The foot prints vanished after a few leagues and we were unable to continue the search. They separated at several positions and led to various civilian camps, all of the civilians were captured and brought back."

The lord looked down at the soldiers in front of him, the best in his realm. They could kill him where he sat before anyone else in the room could even move, if it wasn't for the three sorcerers creating a shield in front of him he would be unable to stand their appearance. "That is bothersome, sounds like a Manipulator."

"Yes lord Crend that is my conclusion as well." The rehearsed speech flowed out, not too fast not too slow. "There was only one set of foot prints yet it diverged in several points, it would take the skill of a group of Blessed to move that quickly and leave only one trail. There were no Blessed in the camps." Blessed made them seem like clergy, much less threatening than Divine Warriors, even if their only enhancements were to their ability to kill. "We believe it was a single Manipulator who stayed in the city."

"He couldn't have left after I dispatched you, the city was on lock-down each guard post was equipped with a sorcerer." The lord leaned in, this was his field now. Tactics weren't on the mind of people who could react fast enough to any situation to come out on top. "Commence an investigation I want that document found." Crend's eyes widened momentarily, that revelation was one he wanted to keep a secret. "Leave and interrogate the prisoners I give you full power over the dungeons, get results or slit your throat."

"Yes my lord." Thrid kept his excitement secret, Crend very rarely let something slip, only when under extreme distress and only when giving orders. That document must hold something extremely valuable, information is the most important commodity in the world. "Turn!" The men stood and turned their backs to the lord, keeping their eyes down.

The lord Crend sat stunned, hoping that his slip had gone unnoticed. The order was severe, hopefully enough to distract those killing machines with the thought of more power. _'The damage is done, what will come will come.'_

Outside Thrid gave his men orders to rest, they had been awake for a day and a half and needed to be ready encase anyone tried anything in the confusion. He turned down a stairwell and continued to the dungeons, he had prisoners to interrogate.

"Good ta see ya again." The summoner was waiting for him, in a cage with the other magic captives, the runes on the wall were faded but still worked their ancient magic. Two normals had followed him down to the dungeons as his escort.

"Get up and come to the bars." The summoner did as he was told, the other scum looked on, the old man in the corner shifted his beard to hide something. That wasn't important at the moment, he would be next. "put your hands through one set of bars." With a motion the guards clamped irons around his wrists and forced open his hands to check for weapons. When they finished the door was opened and the summoner was led out.

"Where're we goin?" a quick punch ended his questions _'I need to stop asking questions or I wont have a single piece of unbruised flesh.'_

They walked for a while until they reached a room which was empty except for a single post. The guards lifted the irons binding the summoner's wrists and hung them off of a spike jutting out from the top of the post. Thrid nodded and they left the room leaving him alone with the prisoner.

"Great, are you gonna whip me?" Master smiled at his captor, cavalier attitude disguising his fear of the pain.

"No, us Blessed do not waist out time like that, you will tell me what I want to know or you will be put back into the cell. I should warn you though that the cell slowly eats at your ability to use magic."

"Divine Warriors too good fer me?" Master spat on the floor and received a slap across the face for his efforts.

"Yes. Now keep your mouth shut unless you are answering my questions, understand?" Thrid kept his eyes locked with his subject, they turned from green to gold momentarily before he received an answer.

"Yes" sweat dripped from the summoners forehead and onto his lips. This was the Divine Warrior's magic, bringing out the truth from people was a battle tactic that had been developed into an interrogation technique. If you know whether your opponent is feigning an attack or injury you can react to it, if you know if your suspect is lying you can force the truth from them.

"Good. What is your name?"

"Master" The summoner was telling the truth, or at least a half truth.

"Your real name?" Thrid focused more on his subject's eyes.

"I don't have one." This was a lie, but one that was practiced so often that it was practically truth. Thrid redoubled his focus.

"Have you ever been in this area before?" This question was more important, if it was a truthful no then the summoner wasn't the thief.

"No" The summoner smiled causing Thrid to lean in closer and focus harder, seeking the truth in the black eyes of his captive. He felt warm breath against his skin and jumped back in time to see a small snake on the floor sink its fangs into the thin air where his crotch had been.

The summoner pulled himself up and flipped his arms off of the spike, thanking the gods that the captain had been fatigued and didn't notice the summoning circle he had drawn around his blood filled spittle on the floor with his foot. With a quick incantation his ring finger on his left hand was sacrificed. Ancient magic that was taboo to use warped his restraints and turned them into a winged insect, freeing him. He felt the loosening of a thread in his heart as the snake's head was lopped of.

He dipped his index finger into the blood on his wrist and began drawing on the door. The Divine Warrior was attempting to fight off the demon insect. Each time it was cut it would regenerate and each time a piece of it was removed the piece would become a sort of offspring. By the time he had finished with the door it was too late though, the Divine Warrior was behind him.

"My name is Thrid. Master is a good name for you, this is twice that you have tricked me." The calm tone was practiced and the eloquent speaking was borne from years of courts and politics. "You now have two choices, first you can finish that summoning and hope that I kill it before I kill you. Second, you can go quietly back to your cell while I decide what to do with you."

"I'll take the cell if ya would be so kind." Master turned and looked up at Thrid, neither of them was looking particularly clean.

"Good choice." Thrid pulled his worthy opponent to his feet and staggered back on his now wounded ankle. The door was opened and they walked out into the hallway. "You are lucky you did that to a Blessed, had it been any other person you would be dead."

"To be honest I thought I was dead." he looked at his free hands and the missing finger. "Im going to need to replace that." He sighed and soon was at the door to his magic restraining cell.

"You, old man, you are next. Come with me." The old man wasn't part of those captured the night before but the look of confusion on his face was only momentary.


	5. Dead end

The investigation wasn't yielding any results. Thrid sat down on the edge of his bed, armor on the floor, his body completely healed from his little 'Sparing match' with the summoner. _'I'm missing something, I know that I am looking for a document. That document is important to Crend, important enough to send me and my men out for it.'_

He pressed his hands into his eyes, focusing on the pain and then relieved the pressure and watched the lights dance like the clash of swords. He remembered the attack that killed one of his best soldiers and good friend. _'Asli was killed, there are no coincidences so the theft is related.'_ His thoughts turned to the summoner and then to the old man. He laid down and placed his hand over the mark on his chest.

It had been three days since the interesting interrogations and the trail had disappeared. The sorcerers had been monitoring everyone who entered or left the town but they could find no one magical. The patrols were doubled but still no new evidence or suspects.

He rolled over and pulled the sheets back from his bed to reveal a slave girl. "You wouldn't have any clues would you?"

"No sir." her eyes were averted, a common practice among religious peasantry.

"Well leave then. I need to think tonight not rut." The girl got up and put her thin cloak back on before leaving. When the door closed he got back to the evidence.

The rest of the town was focused on the thievery as well. Peasants walked around with their eyes down praying not to get caught by an irritable guard. The prisons were full and the food was slow coming and less regular.

_'I should be out of here by now, no famous Summoner's story begins with a fire and then the rest is imprisonment.'_ Master sat looking out of the bars on his cell. A mouse sat looking at him, it moved slowly closer and stopped inches from his hand where a single crumb had fallen.

"So even the mice are starving in this prison." Master hadn't seen the old man move but before he could say a word the mouse was in the strong hands of the former Divine.

"I thought this cell drained ya of magic." his interest peaked at the old mans super human speed.

"It does, but muscles don't count as magic do they? I may not look it but I'm several times stronger than most men, even in my current state." The old man smiled his black smile and snapped the mouses neck before pulling its skin off and eating its meat.

"Hand me the skin will ya?" Master held out his hand and received the still warm pelt. The guards that had been assigned their cell watched on with disgust at their actions.

"Don't eat that it'll just make you sick and waste water." The old man frowned at the inexperienced master.

"ya're worrying for nothing." The summoner lifted the pelt up to his mouth.

"For the love of the gods stop!" The guard shouted at the magic users "You may be hungry but if you eat that I will get sick so just stop! I'll get you some bread just hold on."

The guard returned in a few moments with a loaf of bread and opened the feeding hatch to let it in. as he tried to pull his hand out he noticed gnarled fingernails digging into arm. He looked into the face that belonged to the arm and found the black grin.

The five prisoner's moved out of the newly opened door, they quickly began looking for their magic. The one who couldn't cast his spells simply walked over to the guard and grabbed the knife that was sticking from his throat and plunged it into his heart. The others mourned long enough to grab the knife for their own defense, the master knelt by the fallen magician and flipped him over. Dipping his finger in the man's cooling blood he began to draw.

The others guarded the door, they timed their escape to coincide with the guard change, they knew that without any complications they had a full hour to prepare for their escape. They looked on with anticipation as the one who had the most magic remaining wove his spells.

"I feel my sense returning slowly." The old man grabbed his chest with relief.

"Rynd focus on the stairs, if anyone comes down you must kill them." the taller sorcerer sat at the table stuffing bread into his mouth.

"Tsin keep your mouth wet we might need to cast!" the smaller stockier one sat watching the Master work on the ground.

"It has been years since I have cast, I need energy to do it." after swallowing he pulled another chunk and began working at it.

They sat in silence for another ten minutes as the master drew and spoke quickly under his breath. "Help me with this!" He rose to his feet, finger cramped and raw from rubbing it over the stone floor. "Grab those bodies and put them in the middle."

The two sorcerers rose and lifted the guard and their fallen comrade into the center of the circle. A red light grew as the master focused on his missing finger, a large demon rose from the side of the circle and looked at the offering.

**"Dead?"** the voice in his head was strong and firm, matching the horned monstrosity in front of him. The demon had the head of a snake with the horns of a ram. Its body was that of a great ape with legs from a hawk and arms that were almost human, it was covered in a thick layer of gray fur.

_"Yes now eat it. With this payment I bind you to this realm!"_ the master looked his demon in its eyes.

**"Yes Master" **The demon ate each sacrifice quickly.

"He accepted the pact?" The sorcerers looked on as the demon ate unaware of the conversation that had taken place.

"Aye" the master watched as his new creation ate. "once he finishes we move, watch the door and make sure that no one can enter." Demons are weakest when they are in a summoning circle, add to that the fact that it is eating and even a Non-Blessed could kill it. The unsaid words were known only to summoners and demons.

The rest of the castle was unaware of the freed prisoners below. The night had come and the guards were switching places all around the castle.


	6. Escape

The alarms went off moments after Thrid awoke, throwing himself from his bed and towards his sword. The constant reports to lord Crend had made him weary and a battle was what he needed to bring blood to his head again. His squad was waiting at the bottom of the stairs already armed and unprotected like him. "Reason?"

"Escape." The nearest soldier turned to follow his captain as they ran down towards the prisons.

"Which group?" They moved down the hallway scaring the confused servants who were unused to seeing naked bodies in the light.

"The magic users." They passed the guard unit that was heading to the disturbance, the guards bowed and returned to their stations.

They pushed open the door and were met with a grisly image, the blood soaked maw of a snake with horns. The first two through the door rolled under the fanged demon and pushed themselves up under its chest. The rest ran past it down to the waiting group below.

"Now that we are all here let me tell you what is happening." Thrid sat in his accustomed spot, on the summoner's back, while he addressed the room. "You have two options. First, I can kill you. Second, we can all get up, you can order your demon to obey me and let my men go."

"I'll go with my usual then."

"Again a good choice Master" The demon released the two who it had been holding, placing them on the ground and giving the female a pat on her rear. He pulled back a hand missing a finger.

**"Why did you order that?"**

_"I can't afford to lose any more fingers, and with every wound you gain power. Besides she looks pretty."_ The exchange went unnoticed and Thrid had been continuing his explanation.

The group surrounding Thrid waited as he explained his mutiny. "You all follow me, we move immediately. Master, you stand by me in the formation. Rynd take rear guard with Drik and Corin. You two who's name's I don't care to learn shield my men, if you do a good job you will be allowed to live."

The group took their positions, deciding that following orders was better then dying. The group moved up to the top of the stairs and around the corner to meet a group of guards. "You apprehended them sir?"

Thrid stared the man down and he bowed stepping to the side to let the group pass. They came up to the room that Crend had locked himself into. "Demon, open that door." the locked door was ripped from its hinges and thrown into the room. "A little more subtly next time."

They entered the room, weapons drawn and stepped over the guards who had been knocked unconscious by the flying door. Lord Crend stood up, pushing the papers in front of him aside. "Why did you bring the escaped prisoners here?"

Thrid was behind Crend before he could react, his hand was forced to the table and his signet ring removed. The ring was tossed to one of the soldiers and Crend was tossed to another.

"Escort him to the dungeons. We have to move ahead as planned." Thrid sat down at the desk and quickly checked the paperwork. "You both escaped without incident." Thrid looked up and motioned the sorcerers to leave. "Master you are welcome here any time, except now please leave immediately and do not return for at least a month." Thrid turned to the final member of the former cell mates. "Rynd, welcome to my squad."

Master was escorted to the gate by Corin who had finally put on clothes so as not to disturb the citizens. When he reached the gate he turned to Corin "So, I can just leave?"

"Yes, those were my orders"

"And you guys will never tell me what happened here?"

"Those were not my orders." The gate was closed.


	7. Briehn

The town of Briehn was large and prosperous. The citizens pushed around the market square looking to sell their wares or trade for the things that they needed. A smith worked outside taking orders for nails and hinges. He hammered away with bored and practiced hands making the basic utensils that the peasants asked. His dreams of forging weapons and armor of legend filled his head as he produced four nails and a hinge for a man who's door had been knocked off by a run away bull.

Another customer approached his anvil as the happy farmer left with his purchase. The man put his left hand on the table revealing a missing finger. "Could ya hammer me out a new one?" the man put a huge grin on his face before handing over a sheet of parchment with a drawing of a finger from a gauntlet.

The smith looked at the plans and began thinking quickly, the interesting notion putting his melancholy mood to rest. He took the man's hand and began taking measurements for the finger, the missing digit seemed to have been severed cleanly by a hot blade as the stump was charred and level. After looking at it for a while he pulled out his small tools and began work. While he hammered out steel and iron into small flat sheets he struck up a conversation with his interesting guest.

The crafting continued into the night and after several hours he put the finished results of his work onto a table to begin negotiation on the price.

"Ya're insane."

"It'll be five copper pieces for the iron and another thirty for the work." The smith looked at his work fondly, admiring the springs and intricate articulation, each joint was balanced perfectly to allow complete control and positioning. Swords were made from weaker steel and the layering allowed it to be slash proof and certainly arrow proof.

"Alright! But what about the socket? How am I gonna stick that to my bone?" The stranger pulled out his purse and pulled out a stick of silver shocking the smith.

"That's your problem." The piece was cut in half and the smith took his pay and watched as the strange nine fingered man walked away cradling his two purchases.

Master walked down the street looking around for a place to spend the night, he came across a small tavern and walked into the warmth of the bar. He called over to the barmaid who came quickly passing a pewter mug to a man who slapped her thighs as she passed. "What can I get ya sir?"

"It's Master actually, and you can get me a room for ten days and a hot meal." Half a silver was placed in the maid's hands and she led the strange man up and into an available room. When she left Master unwrapped the cloth he had placed his new finger in, he studied his digit before he took the socket up in his hand and placed it against his stump.

**"That is going to be painful"** From outside the cities limits the demon spoke, its voice bouncing in its master's head.

"Yes" The knife from the table was pushed into the stump of his middle finger. Painfully moving it in a circle he opened the skin and exposed the bone. Spikes protruded from the bottom of the socket, barbed so that they couldn't be removed without the steel being cut or the bone breaking. Placing the spikes into a fire and then against the bone he slammed his hand firmly into the table leaving a mark on the wood and jamming the barbs square into the spot where his middle finger used to sit.

"Son of a whore and a snake!" He woke up in the morning with a shout.

"Good breaking-fast Master." The barmaid from last night pushed a tray into the room before running down the stairs holding her mouth.

"Well that will certainly get me charged more for the room." He held his throbbing left hand gingerly and looked at the work from last night. Scabs had formed around the shining socket and new skin was growing. He found the metal finger that had fallen to the floor while he was unconscious and attached it to the socket. A frown over took his face as he closed his hand and the artificial digit remained erect. _'Nothing I can't fix I guess.'_

Outside the market was busy again, a woman wandered unnoticed through the crowd. She passed stalls and walked to the castle where two guards were on duty. She walked past them and through the door, which was still closed.


	8. Morsa

Darkness, cold and smothering. It was always the same with stone. Morsa pushed herself forward another step and passed through the wall. Her feet met with the cool ground on the other side and she felt the air on her face again. The guards didn't notice her passing, the normal ones never did. She moved through the castle and into a dark door with a rune carved into it, hand raised in front of her she knocked on the wood and marveled at the feeling.

Stale air washed out of the room as the door opened, Morsa stepped through and walked to the man sitting at a work bench. "So what news do you have?" He kept to his work, looking up would do him no good.

She picked up a piece of steel with a charcoal embedded in it and a map that was sitting unfolded beside the man, each was adorned with the same rune. "Three more locations, the unrest is spreading." Morsa drew hand prints over three castles. "What are your orders?"

"First put on the cloak so I can see you." The cloak fluttered to life and draped itself over an invisible set of shoulders, the color returned and a female outline took shape. Morsa tied the belt and pulled her now visible black hair from her eyes. "Thats better." The sorcerer looked up at his the spirit he had called from the air back when he was young. "Sit down and wait"

She moved elegantly, letting herself settle into a chair, the rune on the back of her jacket letting her interact with the physical world. Her thin frame was dwarfed by the book case on the wall behind her. The room was filled with research tomes and samples, herbs hung from the ceiling and bones filled drawers. Centered in the room, in front of the desk, was a stone scrying pool. Smoke filled the room and drew the moisture from the air, every second Morsa stayed in the room her face aged and her hair whitened.

"Leave, I cannot stand to see you ugly Morsa. Search the area for any of their soldiers but first bring this-" The sorcerer motioned to the map "- to the lord, leave the cloak." As soon as she disrobed she was off the door closing behind her.

Morsa flew through the air surrounding the castle feeling liberated, she noticed a strange sight in the moon light and went to investigate. On the ground a horse had gotten lose and was fleeing at great speed from an unseen predator. She watched as the muscles on the animal foamed over with sweat and she gasped as she saw what was casing it.

Horns of a ram and head of a snake the creature landed firmly on the back of its prey and buried its fangs into the horse's jugular. She landed next to the creature and watched taloned feet cutting into the meat on the horse's haunches as it consumed the animal's entrails. Marveling at its fur she gently brushed it, most animal's wouldn't notice a breeze so they do not notice her.

Not this one who was born of man and magic not nature. Its human like arms reached out and passed through her waist it swung its head around and snapped at her, its warm breath brushing her skin. **"Master there is something here. I can feel it but I cannot see it nor touch it."** In the town the master sat enjoying his new finger.

_"If ya cannot feel it or touch it then how can it touch ya? Are you sure it wasn't jus' the wind?"_ Master was in no mood for a newborn's logic. _"Take a good look around and report tomorrow, I am going to go show my fancy new finger around at the local whore house."_

**"Yes Master"** after finishing its meal the demon flicked its eyes, switching between different views. On infrared it noticed a faint outline, it switched again and surveyed the differences in air pressure at the same spot. A definite female form appeared.

Morsa continued to watch the interesting creature, she had never seen a demon before but had heard all about them. The bigger ones ate the organs of living creatures and had a unique shape based on who ever summoned them. The more powerful ones were said to be ancient beasts summoned from the deepest pits of Ceild's valley of punishment, where they ate the ever regrowing skin of the wicked. She wondered about the one in front of her for a while before remembering one of her investigations.

Earlier that season a group of Divine Warriors had deposed their lord and set themselves as the rulers of their castle, starting a chain reaction in many of the weaker areas. The first group had apparently enlisted the help of a demon which they used to cause a distraction and also to knock down a door that had been locked by magic. The demon was said to be big and gray, with the head of a snake and the legs of a falcon.

The demon followed her down the the ground with his eyes, she moved towards him and he continued to watch her. She reached up and brushed the fur on his chest and he growled. She pushed her hand into his chest and gripped his heart and he hissed. She pulled it gently and it gave way, he staggered back whimpering and blood passed through her now immaterial hands.

Master pushed aside the woman in his bed and moved to the window_ "Where are you? What happened?"_ The energy connecting him and his demon had weakened greatly and he didn't feel the usual drain.

**"Air spirit, watch the air-"** The energy returned to Master completely.

"What happened?" The barmaid pulled the sheet up to cover herself as she looked towards the window.

"Nothing, get out of here I need to think."


	9. Ceremony

Smoke from incense and light from flickering candles filled the small clearing, in the middle of a circle sat Master. Wind blew through the open area and a candle went out. "Good, you are here."

Morsa looked around the clearing, she could see no one but the man in the middle of the circle surrounded by hundreds of candles. The only other object with him was the half eaten carcass of the demon's prey from the night before. She looked around for a while longer before turning back to the summoner, confused.

"Yes, I am addressing you." The summoner looked right at her and Morsa quickly shifted to another position.

Master watched the candles, three went out around the circle and he followed the path of their extinguishing. The swath of darkness was approaching him quickly as Morsa flew at him, once the candles a few feet in front of him went out they stopped.

Morsa was chained in place, four small air demons had latched themselves to her and were holding her arms and legs in place. She tried to take off but was unable to lift the weight of Master's minions. Deciding that keeping quiet was no longer an option she talked to the first human other than her contract holder. "Who are you?"

"Ya can call me Master." The man stood up and pulled back his hood revealing a wicked smile. He moved closer to Morsa, stepping over rows of candles, until he was just out of reach. He pressed his middle finger into the dirt in front of her and walked in a circle.

"What are you doing?" Morsa's clear voice was slightly higher than normal, she fought hard against the small demons holding her feet but was unable to free herself.

Master continued his work, writing down ancient glyphs in the dirt with the point of his metalic finger. He poured melted wax into the impression on the ground and waited until it solidified. Placing his hand over one of the glyphs he began to focus his mind on the spirit in front of him. Lines of light draped themselves over Morsa, exposing her frame slowly. Within a minute she was completely covered in light, her body took shape and she was brought into the physical world again.

Never before had she been exposed without the help of the cloak, she felt an unusual combination of fear and dread that came with being vulnerable in front of someone who she had never met before. Her natural defense mechanisms began to work and she struggled against her bonds. Twisting and writhing she fought against the small demons who sunk their talonlike hands into her skin.

"Don't bother." A tendril of blue flame snaked its way out of Master's metallic finger, winding its way up the Air Spirit's leg. "That spell is designed to hold my larger pets, now just relax." Flames wrapped around her body and up to her neck.

"What is this?" body arched away from the blue heat as it cut into her now illuminated skin. The pain was unbearable and she felt as if she was being torn in half.

"Right now you should feel as if you are being torn in half." Master pulled his hand back, tugging the spirit with it. _"Alright boys let er go." _

The moment she was released Morsa tried to flee, but the flaming ropes would not give way. She struggled as they pulled her towards the strange metallic finger and felt herself being pulled sideways. It drew her in crushing and compacting her until she was inside the finger itself.

"That's much better" Master flexed his newly functional finger, marveling at it's ability to bend and respond to his commands. He pulled his hood up and with a wave of his hand the candles went out and the Demons disappeared.


	10. Bonds

Sitting and waiting did not suit Borr, Morsa was already late and he was growing impatient. Finally the knocks sounding her arrival came, he raised his hand and the door opened outward. In came a breeze and he knew Morsa was with him. "Put on the cloak and give me your report."

The familiar sight of the cloak rising up and pulling itself over a pair of invisible, slender, shoulders and then the most beautiful woman in his life appeared. She sat down, each time she slid herself into the large chair he had placed just for her it caused the hair on the back of his neck to stand on end.

"Your report?" He enjoyed toying with her, every time she felt she was doing an unsatisfactory job she would get slightly more talkative.

"No one outside the city, no summoners or demons. I could find no trace of summoning activity in the city nor any circles or clearings with traces of wax or inscriptions of circles." The wounds left by her new master's burning bindings ached and stung as she struggled to stop telling the lies.

"Anything interesting? An unusual animal or new face in town that is keeping to himself too often?" Borr leaned in closer, trying to get a good look at her with his blurring eyes, it seemed liked she wasn't graying and the lines on her face stayed constant. For some reason she wasn't aging as quickly as she normally did when forced to come to this stagnant room.

"Nothing out of the usual, the horse is even rotting properly." She had given in to the burn, there was no loyalty to her old master and no reason to suffer because of her old habits of reporting minor details to him.

"Very well, but first come here." Borr pushed the paper he was working on aside and watched as she walked close to him. Once she was seated across he motioned to the cleared area "Place your head there please." 

Morsa bowed and placed her head on the wooden table, she felt the old man's fingers separating her hair. "Where did you get these bur-?" The old man was cut off by a large metal rod being shoved into his shoulder. He pushed himself backwards and clutched at his arm, when he removed his hand the wound had sealed and Morsa was gone. _'Well, I guess that explains why she couldn't find any evidence of a summoner.'_

She fled the castle, having removed the cloak, and burst out of the walls and into the fresh air. The binding had removed her ability to lazily float from place to place and constrained her to the ground but it allowed her to interact with her environment if she concentrated. Traveling through the city was slightly harder, she kept wanting to fly above the crowd but until her master reworked her contract she was stuck.

Master sat on his bed after sending the barmaid away with his empty food tray. He looked down at his metal finger and tried to flex it but to no avail, it was useless without his new and attractive captive. He smiled _"Is it ironic that I keep a woman in my finger? Or is it simply role reversal?"_

**"Role reversal"** the voice in his head rang clear as a bell, better than the growling and grunting that normally came with his demon friends.

_"Great, what does ironic mean then?"_ Master picked at the scab around his finger absent mindlessly, his new pet was such a know it all.

**"Something that is highly unexpected happens, like a shield being used to cut off its wearer's head."**

_"Thanks."_ Morsa's matter of fact tone was beginning to get irritating and almost caused the smile to fade from his lips. Never stop smiling was his motto, no one can read a smile. Morsa joined him in the room and sat down on the bed beside him. He had told her not to talk out loud to him so she kept quite but became visible, binding had given her that ability.

"Mister do ya need anything else?" The door opened and the barmaid put a bare leg into the room before her head. "Oh, I see ya found some cumpny fer the night." Disappointment was written across her face, she was looking forward to the stranger's generous payment.

"Ya come back in a hour or two ifin ya don't mind." The smile grew slightly as he patted his naked pet on her back. "We'll be done in a mo'" Morsa felt repulsed but stayed still, if her cover was to be as his 'servant' then so be it.

Once the interloper left the room Morsa felt a chill as the metal finger that bound her scraped its way up her physical back. She did not like being able to interact without her consent. The finger pushed into the skin on her neck and wormed its way to her spine before the pain left and she felt the compression as she was drawn back into her prison.


End file.
